"Good."

Edeleas smiled and led the way out of the Training Halls, Naridin close behind him. They walked side by side, Edeleas slightly conscious on the way his mentee towered above him. Naridin's height was not really troublesome, but what bothered the Dieb Cha so was that the novices and Accepted had started showering them with muchly unwanted attention. Edeleas had a strong urge to rub his temples. The giggling girls eyed them both as if they were all going to be bloody Green in the future! Beside him Naridin shifted uncomfortably, and Edeleas knew he wasn't alone.

"Why are women so troublesome, no?" Edeleas whispered.

They walked on, until they were well outside the Black Tower proper. The sun was just starting its long climb across the sky. Edeleas led his mentee still away from the towers proper and then opened a gateway that opened into a narrow but clean street. He stepped through and Naridin followed, and he shut the gateway. Naridin was looking around. Edeleas surmised he didn't have a chance to explore the city beforehand.

"This way, boy."

He led the way out of the long street, and they found themselves upon a main street of sorts, packed with crowds and carts and donkeys and horses. Creating a path was not hard, what with Edeleas's pins and Naridin's height. They were soon standing before a three-storey inn painted in wild blue.

"Come along boy, I am sure you're starving." Edeleas smiled as he led the way inside.

Naridin could not help but cock an eyebrow as novices--and even Accepted--giggled at his mentor. Edeleas was handsome despite the lack of height, he had to admit, but why did they have to do that in front of the Asha'man? He observed Edeleas shift uncomfortably, and shook his head when he realized he was doing the same. He had his own handful of girls who eyed him with great interest, but the Aiel dismissed the glances as interest in his race, not himself in particular. Naridin did his very best to mask his height by slouching, but that was doing no good. Why can't these women learn that staring is impolite?

"Why are women so troublesome, no?" Edeleas whispered. Naridin could only nod as he followed his mentor closely.

The walked on till they were out of the Towers proper, and Naridin eyes bagan to wander. He hadn't seen much of Tar Valon ever since he came. He didn't give much attention to the surroundings then, since he was in a hurry to get to the Black Tower. The street was clean, not much activity here but one or two people passing by, carrying their loads. He glanced at the houses around them, but kept Edeleas in sight out of the corner of his eye.

"This way, boy."

The Asha'aman led him to a busier street, packed with people and mules, horses--Naridin smirked at a man riding one--and carts containing produce of every kind. The soldier lessened his looking around and focused more on the man that led him, but there was really no problem with keeping up. People seemed to create a path for them.

"Come along boy, I am sure you're starving." Edeleas smiled as he led the way inside an inn painted in blue. Naridin followed, ducking under the doorway.

He had expected the common room to be quiet and empty, since it was still early for lunch and too late for breakfast, but a good number of people were already eating--or drinking--enough to keep a handful of serving girls busy. A musician iddly played with his harp on a small stage in one end of the common room, but Naridin did not recognize the tune. The soldier frowned slightly at the smoke wafting from several pipes--he never liked the smell of tabac--but quickly returned his face to apathy. Edeleas led him to a small, round table in one corner of the room and sat down. Naridin sat across him, bending his long legs under the table. There was no room to stretch his legs, so he could not lounge. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a few seconds before finally getting used to his position, then returned his gaze to his mentor.

The tavern was already bristling with activity when Edeleas and Naridin entered it, with enough crowd to keep the serving girls on their toes. Edeleas quickly picked out a round table enough for two in the corners of the tavern, and led the way to it. Naridin quickly followed, still earning awestruck stares by the patrons of the said inn. These people would have to get used to seeing Aiel every now and then, if Edeleas and Naridin would continually get their brainstorming done. It was often nice to get some serious thinking done outside of the Towers - because Edeleas knew that if they were back in the Tower propers they could not have an interesting discussion without novices and Accepted gaping at them in every turn.

A serving girl came up to them, and Edeleas had had to bite the inside of his cheek at the way she stared at them. But then she obviously noticed that they were supposed not to get along with each other - she already marked him as Cairhienin and Naridin as Aiel. A confused frown surfaced on her lovely features, but it was wise of her to not say anything. Instead she asked them for orders.

"Roast beef for me and some red wine, if you please." Edeleas told her. Then he turned to Naridin. "Ask for whatever you may want."

As Naridin gave his orders, Edeleas sat silently, fingers steepled against one another as he thought hard. Truth be told he was running out of ideas on how to break his mentee's block. The bloody thing was keeping both of them from knowing Naridin's true potentials, and also developing his Talents. As an accomplished Dieb Cha Edeleas viewed anything that hampered learning as irksome problems he was longing to squash out of his way. But it was time to admit that lack of sound time to think was finally catching up on him. He was running out of ideas for a first. The serving girl left, and Edeleas refocused his eyes back onto Naridin as they waited for their lunch.

"So what do you suggest we do with your annoying block?"

"Roast beef for me and some red wine, if you please." Edeleas told a serving girl. Then he turned to Naridin. "Ask for whatever you may want."

The Aiel hesitated, peering curiously at the girl. He never could understand why people became servants. Sehluile used to argue with him that it was the same as gai'shain, but it was not. Wetlanders do the strangest things. He did not have time to criticize them, though. He was in Tar Valon, not the Three-fold Land, and he would have to live with it.

"Peppered, roast goat." he told her finally. "And...red wine." It was too much to hope for oosquai. The serving girl then left, a confused look on her face. Edeleas was thinking, it seemed, as the Asha'man's eyes were gazing into the distance. They quickly refocused on Naridin.

"So what do you suggest we do with your annoying block?"

Naridin wandered his gaze as he thought. Yes, it was annoying. His block was a weakness, and he had too many of those already. His block had to be broken. The matter was, he had no idea how. The tickling seemed like a good idea, but that didn't work. Pain...what can break my block? Maybe different sensations or emotions could work. Naridin slowly voiced his thoughts.

"I was thinking about your method this morning. Emotions. Maybe strong emotions can break it? Maybe...fatigue? Or..." What else is a strong emotion? "...fear." That had been random. But oh, he had a lot of that already, only he didn't like to dwell on them. It wouldn't be at all difficult to make him terrified. I'm a bloody coward, after all, he thought wryly.

"I was thinking about your method this morning. Emotions. Maybe strong emotions can break it? Maybe...fatigue? Or......fear."

The food arrived, and Edeleas took his time thinking as he started to eat, Naridin following suit. He tried to recall what he'd read about block-breakings from the books in the Library. He researched particularly on Nynaeve al'Maera's example. It had been severe fear of drowning that had broken her block. Maybe...well, maybe that'd work... Edeleas looked up from his roast and tilted his head to one side.

"I like both of your suggestions, Naridin." He said. "We shall try fatigue first, and then we go to fear. After that...I daresay you will have a month's free time at least if we still are unsuccessful. I will have many work to do in the following weeks, it will be hard for me to juggle my time if I don't drop a particular work."

They paused, eating. Edeleas was surprised as to how hungry he was. True, he really didn't eat breakfast...and channeling did take its toll on the channeler. He took several deep draughts of his wine before waving his knife.

"I was thinking that maybe we could climb up the Black Tower in three to five circuits. That ought to take anyone's breath. And then for the fear factor..." He paused and smiled at Naridin. "The River Erinin is always nearby, and it is one deep river, as well."

OOC--Considering our other RP thread, I guess I can leave this one alone, right?

ooc - yep. :P